Champaign Township approves preliminary budget amid Strides shelter funding crisis; board votes 6-3

The City of Champaign Township board voted to approve a preliminary budget for legal notice on Aug. 26 after extended discussion about the Strides homeless shelter’s finances, operations and an estimated funding shortfall that township staff say could exhaust shelter funds by February or March 2026.

Board members moved to publish the preliminary budget so payroll and essential township services continue; the roll call recorded six votes in favor and three opposed. The clerk recorded: Fulmer (yes), Gladney (yes), Kyles (yes), Infetti (no), Pollock (yes), Shannon (yes), Williams (no), Claiborne (yes), and Chairperson Feynman (no). The chair announced the preliminary budget passed 6–3; staff and the township attorney confirmed the publication notice must run 30 days and the public hearing will be Sept. 30. The board may amend the budget after notice.

The meeting focused on Strides, the township-run low-barrier shelter in the downtown area, which multiple board members and speakers described as operating at scale but facing management, staffing and facilities challenges. Deputy Supervisor Corinne Jordan provided technical answers to board questions and said Strides currently has an average “burn rate” of about $168,000 per month. Jordan said the township has about 28 shelter employees plus three administrators (31 total at Strides) and about eight township staff including the assessor and supervisor. She told the board that contract work (flooring) has been sent to the vendor and the township has received the contract; no start date had been set.

Board members and public commenters urged a concrete, time‑bound plan. Several board members asked for more urgent, frequent study sessions and specific weekly tasks to pursue additional funding, partnerships and operational reforms. Board Member Shannon said she would vote for the preliminary budget to avoid interrupting payroll but said she heard “no sense of urgency” and demanded a plan to repair community relations and shelter operations. Board members Pollock and Pampetti likewise voiced concern about the lack of a clear ramp‑down or contingency plan if new funding is not secured.

Public speakers included current and former Strides staff, shelter residents and community partners. Speakers reported operational problems they said include staffing shortages, high staff turnover, inconsistent availability of food and case management gaps. One commenter who identified herself as a former Strides employee said about 50 male beds exist and estimated 60% of male beds lacked case management; she said on the female side there are roughly 14 beds and about 10 lack case managers. Strides staff and shelter residents urged the board to keep the shelter open, warning that a closure would shift populations onto streets and to other agencies and create greater public-safety and service demands.

Township Supervisor Kyle (surname in transcript as Kyles) acknowledged the difficulties, accepted responsibility for the delays in producing a more comprehensive budget and said he would work with staff and the Continuum of Service Providers for the Homeless to pursue solutions. He also introduced Deputy Supervisor Corinne Jordan, who the supervisor said brings financial background and reforms to budgeting and reporting. Board members requested frequent follow-up meetings and asked staff to provide: (1) a detailed operational plan for Strides including staffing and facilities planning, (2) a list of grants applied for and grant status, (3) a projection of the burn rate with scenarios for reduced census, and (4) documentation of reciprocal agreements with Cunningham Township and Urbana Township.

The board scheduled its next regularly scheduled meeting for Sept. 2 and several members asked that additional study sessions be scheduled in the intervening weeks so the board can evaluate funding options before the shelter’s estimated funding exhaustion in late winter.